Secrets in the Dark
by TheAnomally
Summary: Ed and Alphonse meet an alchemist with secrets.
1. Chapter 1

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I do not own any of the characters or idea's shown in Full Metal Alchemist. I only own four characters. I am only like 3-4 episodes away from seeing Episode 51.

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Before Ishbal became the desert city loyal to their god Ishbala, they used to be a part of a small mountain village. The people led simple lives and were not afraid to dip their fingers into the waters of the unknown. They delved regularly into science of all branches not thinking of the downsides. They only thought of the good the outcome would bring to them in to all the people in the world. It was the careless ambition of the whole town that caused the end of this remote place. What was created that night; what was given life, was a miracle and a curse. When this creation nearly demolished the town; the survivors separated and left never to say what had happened ever again. Refugees who headed to the south formed the town later to be known as Ishbal. Those who went east eventually formed a small place called Caddo. As time went by the story of what happened, eventually faded into the sands of time. One being remembers, one entity will never forget.

Edward and Alfonse Elric rode the taxi as far as it would take them. Edward had finally calmed down; a little girl in the cab persistently commented on his lack of height. Al could not help but chuckle; the reason many people made fun of him, was because he reacted so outlandishly each and every time.

The two now trudged along a dirt path; Ed was still partially fuming. Al's armor body clanked and moaned as he walked along. The two traveled lightly; Al carried the one suitcase that held Edwards clothes and equipment to maintain his automail.

"Brother, you shouldn't let people get to you like that. It's only height." Al said matter of factly.

Ed huffed, "Easy for you to say. I'm not short; I'm still growing!"

"Why have we come here again?" Al said changing the subject.

Ed shrugged. "Supposedly there is a library here that has some pretty old history documented. Accounts this village and Ishbal used to be one place a long time ago; a lot of history."

"What did you tell Colonel Mustang, brother?" Al asked.

Edward only shrugged since Major Hughes murder, Mustang had been more difficult to deal with. Hawkeye trying to be understanding blamed Mustang uptight behavior on the Colonel's mourning process. There was more she wanted to say, but she wisely kept her lips zipped. The brothers walked along observing a moment of silence in memory of Hughes, whose death weighed heavily on their hearts. The new information that had come about so quickly did not help their situation either. Now they were fugitives; wanted by the military.

"Do you think Hughes's death had something to do with lab five, or maybe because of the Homunculi?" Al said a hint of fear in his voice.

Edward shrugged. "No doubt, we've seemed to have become targets. I'm sorry you have to get pulled into this too."

"I wouldn't want to be any where else brother. We're a team, we'll fight this together." Al said confidently.

Edward Elric kept silent about the real reason they were going to this place. There had been stories, legend, and that had over time whittled into mere fairytales. So many myths had roots in reality, why couldn't this one be true as well. Chimeras, homunculi, and transmuted souls were real why not this.

With that said and done the brothers continued on their way. Soon they came to a modest sized village; they got a room at the local inn and got some food. All paid for by the military of course. It was in the tavern they learned about the history of the town. The last thing this community was famous for once having the most affluent mental help facility. The remote area and lack of mobile accessibility, made it perfect spot for people under stress to recuperate. Those days where gone though; now the only reminder of those times was the asylum located in the over grown jungle behind the district. Now the only people, who ventured close to the institute, were kids trying to scare one another by performing dares and such. Having traveled a ways to get here; Al and Ed bed down for the night.


	2. Eyes Everywhere

(2) Eyes everywhere.

"This ones friends say new people have come." The pixie like voice said.

A second voice purred. "Maybe they have interesting stuff or smells."

"I feel trouble coming; time is about to change." A third voice said.

The fourth voice grumbled. "I don't like any of this."

"It was bound to happen; whether you like it or not." The third voice sighed.

The stars twinkled above them; and light danced off the glass that surrounded them. The large house they occupied stood only because of the plants that held it together. Roots and green tendrils filled the cracks in the marble around them.

"They say more have come, but they are not people. They have a bad feeling about them. This one is scared." The pixie voice whimpered.

The second voice hummed again. "I don't like the feeling of this; nope I don't like it at all."

"Eh the world's going to hell in a hand basket. Our job should be to just keep our heads down." The fourth voice said haughtily.

There was an unsure silence between all of them, which loudly stated that plan; was not an option.


	3. Sins

(3) Sins.

As midnight rolled around, three lone figures made their way along the small path.

"The Full Metal pipsqueak is here!" Envy said grumbling.

Lust nodded. "That was what I was told. He was came here on his own, but a little bird told me that he was sent here for his own safety. I think though, he's here so that there would be no interference from the military. He's all ours."

"Can I eat the tin can?" Gluttony sneered.

Lust smiled. "If our little alchemist doesn't do what we want. You may be allowed a few bites; just don't eat the blood seal."

Gluttony let his large tongue hang out as he laughed. The small party moved on through the night; they were close, so they quickened their pace.

"I'll make sure he does what we want; I'll enjoy making him bleed!" Envy chuckled.

Lust smiled thinly, Envy's hatred toward the Elrics was wearing thin. As was having a master order her around, Dante would never use the philosophers' stone to turn them human. That woman just wanted the stone to prolong her own existence for another several centuries. If Envy wanted someone to abhor, then he should despise Hoenheim and Dante. Perhaps Greed had something going by not listening to Dante, and marching to the beat of his own drum. Lust needed to play her part; put on the mask that kept the others and Dante unaware of her new thoughts.

Lust chuckled. "Of course, but keep him alive long enough for us to use baby brother and become human after that you can do as you please with them. I really don't care."

It had been no really mystery to them that Alphonse had been transformed into the philosophers' stone.


	4. Roadblocks

(4) Roadblocks.

Morning arrived; Edward and Alphonse found that finding this library was a little more difficult then first thought. People they asked; never heard of it, thought it burned down, tried to direct them to the old institute, or said all the books had been spirited away in the night. The searched the whole day asking shop keepers, farmers, and anyone they could find. When night came; the brothers where no closer to finding this archive then they were when they started. The one thing they did know is that the one place they had not looked was the old asylum.

"Are you SURE the path is this way?" Al asked.

Edward bristled. "NO!"

That was the sixth time Al had asked that same question; each time he asked Ed's hair seemed to stand more on end. They had been walking along the tree line around the village; following the different directions people had given them.

"Do you think the old road has over grown with all this plant life over the years?" Al shot in trying to calm his short tempered older sibling.

Edward tapped his forehead and sighed. "Probably, and it seems everyone in the village has a convenient case misdirection. It's strange."

"Not as strange as this…Full Metal." A voice purred from a near by dark alley.

Just then; four black spikes flew out of the alley hitting Alphonse's armored head taking it off smoothly.

Edward hollered, "AL!"

The fear in his voice was music to Envy's ears; the homunculus smiled and readied itself to drop into the scene.

Edward knew that with out the helmet; the array that kept Al's soul bound to the armor would be open, and vulnerable. Full Metal rushed forward to protect his brother at all cost, but he was stopped as Envy leapt down to block his path. Envy sneered and knocked the blonde down with a roundhouse kick to his face. Caught off guard, Edward hit the ground like a ton of bricks. Ed rolled to his side, and wiped blood off his split lip.

"Too slow pip squeak." Envy jeered.

Before Ed could move further, Envy leapt on him and wrenched his arm around and back. Edward groaned as his shoulder made a popping noise. With his arm occupied, there was no way for him to perform large scale alchemy.

He gritted his teeth, "Get off me! Leave my brother alone!"

"You know what we want Edward." Lust purred stepping closer to Alphonse.

Alphonse's tried to move around Lust's pinning claws, but the sharp ends had run deeply into his hollow armor.

Edward groaned. "Leave him alone! You hurt him, and you'll get nothing out of me!"

Envy snarled and pulled up on Ed's arm. He enjoyed hearing the creak of the straining tendons, and ligaments.

"Shut up small fry!" Envy snarled in Ed's ear.

Al backed up his body coming to rest against a tree. "BROTHER!"

A pair of small plump hands grabbed Al's armored leg. Al shrieked as he looked down and saw Gluttony.

"Can I eat him now?" Gluttony cackled.

The odd looking fat little homunculus opened his mouth and bit down on to Alphonse's metal leg. Smoke arose as the metal melted in Gluttony's jaws.

Al whimpered. "AHHHHH not again! Get off of me you…you GAH! Get AWAY!"

Edward's eyes darkened as his little brother called out for help. He whipped his head back and plowed his skull into Envy's head. Ed did this a couple more times until he felt Envy's grip loosen. The blond alchemist then dropped to the ground and lashed out with his legs. Knocking the homunculus's legs out from under him, but before he could do more damage Envy rolled back and regained his footing.

"Not bad for a shrimp." Envy growled wiping blood from his nose.

Though the created beings could not die; you could hurt them, even though the injuries did not last long, unless you had something of their original selves to weaken them. Fishing around in his pocket Edward felt the locket, and lunged at Lust. He touched the piece of jewelry to her claws; immediately the sin recoiled in fear. Her claws retracted slightly giving Al enough room to shake off Gluttony. The only problem with this strategy was that Ed only had the means to fend off Lust, Wrath, and Sloth. Envy and Gluttony origins were a mystery to them.

"Watch your back short stuff!" Envy called out.

The sin ran at Edward and caught him off guard with a spinning kick. Gluttony leapt onto Al and tried to bite him repeatedly. The fight was fierce and Lust's participation was a wild card since only one of them at a time could truly fend her off.

Envy was faster then Edward in many ways; he had rage on his side. Despite his size and shape Gluttony was quick, and his acidic mouth made it hard for all to fend him off. Lust did her part shooting a keen nail at both brothers when she could. Edward passed the locket to Al, who tossed it back to him, and so on and so forth. It was like a game of hot potato with both siblings protecting one another. Finally Ed fused the locket to Alphonse; he would have no more of his little brother trying to protect him. Edward was the older brother, and protecting the younger sibling was the first and only law of family.

Al protested, "Brother you can't!"

Edward tumbled across the grass landing against a tree. His head was bleeding, and his red coat was torn. Envy was a fierce opponent.

"I can and I did! I'm your older brother!" Ed retorted.

Edward's ability to perform alchemy without a transmutation circle was a disadvantage to Al who still had to use a transmutation circle. Even though the red glow tempted him he still had no idea on how to go about using the philosophers' stone. Ed grabbed a hold of Al's arm, and dragged him back towards the town. Not that it was far, the forest had been reclaiming the lands for some time. The two siblings headed down an alley of stone and brick walls on either side. Suddenly, the black nails of Lust sliced through Edward's shoulder pinning him a brick wall.

"No more running Full Metal. Now, give us what we want!" Lust said in her normal seductive voice.

Ed screamed in pain as Lust's weapons bit through the meat of his shoulder; amazingly the daggers missed the bones and vital veins.

Ed wrapped his hands around her elongated nails. "Piss off Lady!"

"BROTHER!" Al screamed and halted.

Before Edward could think up of an excuse that could reassure his brother, the walls on either side of them glowed in dark purple. Strange symbols alit on either side of them; Al had seen this array once before back at laboratory five. Three homunculus stopped in their tracks, their purple irises were pin pricks in their eyes. Lust's claws tips seemed to disintegrate as the walls lit up.


End file.
